The Art of Video Games

Oct 24, 2012 - Jan 13, 2013

Boca Raton Museum of Art

The Boca Raton Museum of Art is the first museum in the nation to host the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s groundbreaking exhibition, The Art of Video Games, following its enormously successful presentation in Washington, D.C.

The exhibition in Boca Raton, presented by FMSbonds, Inc., explores the 40-year evolution of video games as an artistic medium, focusing on striking graphics, creative storytelling, and player interactivity. During its stay in South Florida, the Boca Raton Museum of Art also offers a variety of associated programs and educational opportunities for visitors of all ages and interests.

The exhibition highlights some of the best games for 20 gaming systems ranging from the Atari VCS to the Playstation 3. It features 80 video games presented through still images, video footage, and interactive kiosks. In addition, the galleries include video interviews with developers and artists, historic game consoles, and large prints of in-game screen shots. Five featured games, one from each era, are available in the exhibition galleries to play, allowing visitors to experience the medium's unique appeal of interactivity. The playable games – Pac-Man, Super Mario Brothers, The Secret of Monkey Island, Myst, and Flower – show how players connect with the virtual worlds and highlight innovative new techniques that set the standard for many subsequent games.

A companion book, The Art of Video Games: From Pac-Man to Mass Effect, written by curator Chris Melissinos, with more than 100 composite images of featured games by Patrick O'Rourke, is available for purchase in the Museum Store. The book, published by Welcome Books in cooperation with the Smithsonian American Art Museum, examines each of the 80 featured games, providing a behind-the-scenes look at their development and innovation, and commentary on the relevance of each in the history of video games.

The Art of Video Games is organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum with generous support from the Entertainment Software Association Foundation; Sheila Duignan and Mike Wilkins; Shelby and Frederick Gans; Mark Lamia; Ray Muzyka and Greg Zeschuk; Rose Family Foundation; Betty and Lloyd Schermer; and Neil Young. Promotional support is provided by the Entertainment Consumers Association. The C.F. Foundation in Atlanta supports the museum’s traveling exhibition program,Treasures to Go.